A series of interviews that Junichi Kobayashi, A PEOPLE editor in chief, talks with Toji Aida, a movie writer/novelizer. Also on the talk live to be held on July 21, the theme is “Hong Sang-Soo ". In this talk we talk especially about “Kim Min-hee ".

Toji Aida We have talked about Naruyoshi Kikuchi, Jang Kun-jae, Shinji Aoyama and Nami Iguchi as a series project "Each Hong Sang-Soo." Hong Sang-Soo, as well as Kim Min-hee are received differently. As a movie, Mr. Kikuchi's favorite is”Right Now, Wrong Then”, Mr. Aoyama says ”And Then”, Mr. Iguchi bested ”Claire’s Camera” first. There is the existence of Kim Min-hee in the big part of the reason.

Junichi Kobayashi Mr.Aida, yours is ”And Then,” isn’t it?

Aida Mr. Kobayashi, yours is ”On the Beach at Night Alone” right? I want to ask that point. I would like to start “Kim Min-hee theory" from there.

”On the Beach at Night Alone”

Kobayashi The day before seeing ”On the Beach at Night Alone”, I watched "Jounetsu-Tairiku” on TV. It was with Ann Nakamura. Her title is an actress / model. It’s not good or bad, but ”On the Beach at Night Alone” made me think. Kim Min-hee in ”On the Beach at Night Alone” looks free. Of course there are directed parts, but, for example, the coat holds only the top button. It is not a direction of Hong Sang-Soo. It may be what a stylist said. Then, when she sits in a chair and takes off that coat, she puts her thumb in from underneath and rises to remove the button on the coat. I think that is herself. Of course, such things are often in movies, but in this movie these gestures and behaviors do not contribute to the story. It is "Jounetsu-Tairiku”. Models are expected to show how they live and shape. Kim Min-hee here is an actress, but she is rather like a model, rawer. It looks like a documentary in a sense. So, is it a documentary? For example in ”Searching for Debra Winger" taken by Rosanna Arquette, the actresses come out as real names and talk about themselves. This is not the case. However, Kim Min-hee herself, not seeming to be an acting woman, stays there. I get such a feeling. I've been watching movies of actresses for quite some time, but such a movie is not common. I was touched by the existence of Kim Min-hee that made it happen.

Aida In the first place, I doubt if a male film director can produce an actress, that is, a woman. The physiology is different and the body is different. As a result, the situation of beautification or decay occurs. Even movie directors who are skilled in fiction, they can’t control actress = woman. Something falls out in himself while taking the man's desire to play in this way. In order to find the glow in only that person, there are roles, situations and lighting. However, like you said, Mr. Kobayashi , everyday things will remain such as the way to remove the button. That means that the person is alive and how he/she moves hands. It is similar to philosophy or aesthetics such as facing clothes. The scene to eat is scary because it comes out. Love scenes and kiss scenes can stand up. They do not show ordinary sex. But, normality gets out in meals scenes.

Kobayashi There are many scenes where Kim Min-hee sucks cigarettes in "Night beach". For example, Charlotte Rampling or Eva Green smokes a cigarette pretty phamphataricly and cool. Kim Min-hee, on the other hand, seems to smoke the air rather than spit out the air. Hong Sang-Soo shoots the breath of Kim Min-hee separately from the intention. Sense of breath is transmitted. It's rather sort of sadness in Kim Min-hee, not playing the role. In a very thrilling state, I was thinking about taking an actress and taking a woman.

Aida "Night beach" was taken after ”Right Now, Wrong Then”. While becoming a scandal in calm, there was also reserve of Hong Sang-Soo. The couple just began dating and may be similar to respecting each other. While it is a movie that could be filmed because of the scandal, there must be a thoughtfulness to dare to take that movie. In a good sense, Hong Sang-Soo had a feeling that he was not hungry enough. I felt freedom of Kim Min-hee. If you talk about actress Kim Min-hee, it may be "Night Beach."